Do you think social networks kill discussion boards?

Noticed that Pet Talk has become quiet lately, and the same goes for other discussion boards, as far as I can tell. I figure that the social networks like Facebook are too blame for this. And yes, I have to admit that I'm hanging out on Facebook a lot. It's nice, and I like it there, but on the other hand, discussions in a forum (like Pet Talk) have another quality as they often have more substance compared to the usual talk on FB. I'm missing that, and yet I'm often too tired these days to post more. But I'm still thinking of Pet Talk as my "home" in the net, as it's been for more than 10 years...

PT - and other forums - often slow down in summer time, as folks are outdoors more. Winters, it gets dark early, more time to be online.

I don't think social networks have caused a slow down on forums - even my FB news feed has slowed down for the summer!

And, when I see someone on FB posting about an issue, I refer them to the forum for in depth discussion, support and so on. (Mostly this is bichon stuff, lol).

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Originally Posted by Freedom

I don't think social networks have caused a slow down on forums - even my FB news feed has slowed down for the summer!

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Hmm, yes, you could be right. Noticed the same about my FB news feed, too. I guess people are on vacation, or doing outdoor activities.

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Originally Posted by Freedom

And, when I see someone on FB posting about an issue, I refer them to the forum for in depth discussion, support and so on. (Mostly this is bichon stuff, lol).

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Good idea! :)

I do think it does, and see people on Facebook that used to post here, and that we miss.

I'm not on Facebook constantly like some people, and I like the "discussion" feel of a forum better than the Facebook way, that feels much more random, and less like a real community, to me anyway!

I'm only on either Pet Talk or Facebook but I prefer PT over FB. I rarely post anything about myself on FB. It's still usually all about my cats. I guess I just feel more comfortable talking about my cats than about myself. Summer has always been much slower on forums but I'm still here.:)

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Originally Posted by Karen

I I like the "discussion" feel of a forum better than the Facebook way, that feels much more random, and less like a real community, to me anyway!

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ME TOO!!

I discovered the games on FB -- so I am on there much more than I should be. :rolleyes: But communicating? Not much at all.

I sure hope not!

On facebook one can certainly have more privacy, and people have all of their friends there, and can easily send undesirables off into pixel-land. I guess that "Delete a Contact" button is a bit of a magic wand.
On forums such as PT, one does not have that choice. And on PT (the same as all other open forums) you always get the troublemakers who just want to spew their garbage and cause arguments. Yes, we have three or four of them here who must thrive on that. I know of, and am in contact with, so many good members who have left PT because of them.
I'm not pointing any fingers here, we all have our up days and down days, but I can safely say there are some here who take much delight in being very rude.....and I believe that is 99% of why we here on PT, and others on other forums lose members. Where do these people go ??? Facebook !!! Where they are safe from such behaviour.
My two bobs worth.

If I had to give up FB or Pet Talk, FB would be gone.;)

I think FB has had a big impact on discussion boards such as this. I was noticing a downturn here quite some time before the weather got nicer and the days got longer, and people got outside more to shake that cabin fever. A lot of the older and frequent posters seem to have melted away, and I know that at least some have turned more to FB.
As for me - FB showed me nothing. I gave it a shot for about 6 months then closed my account. It seems there is always some security problem popping up here or there - stolen identity, spammed, virus implanted. Not my idea of fun trying to keep up with that every day..........

I think it probably does have an effect on message boards. However, I, for one, don't really see the appeal of FB though. I have an account, but mainly just to keep in touch with friends that live far away. I'm not sure why anyone would spend any significant amount of time on it. Maybe it is more fun if you use it more? I just don't think it's all that special and I prefer PT for sure!

I have to agree with Wombat. As one of the longer members on here - since early 2001- I have seen some of the fun we had lessen because of newer members who join for reasons I cannot understand. Not even sure some of them have pets!

I don't come as often as I once did - and know others who feel the same - because of the antagonistic nature of these folks.

It is still a special place - and Facebook just isn't the same as PetTalk was.

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Originally Posted by wombat2u2004

On facebook one can certainly have more privacy, and people have all of their friends there, and can easily send undesirables off into pixel-land. I guess that "Delete a Contact" button is a bit of a magic wand.
On forums such as PT, one does not have that choice. And on PT (the same as all other open forums) you always get the troublemakers who just want to spew their garbage and cause arguments. Yes, we have three or four of them here who must thrive on that. I know of, and am in contact with, so many good members who have left PT because of them.
I'm not pointing any fingers here, we all have our up days and down days, but I can safely say there are some here who take much delight in being very rude.....and I believe that is 99% of why we here on PT, and others on other forums lose members. Where do these people go ??? Facebook !!! Where they are safe from such behaviour.
My two bobs worth.

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Interesting. I never saw it that way. But I have to admit that you CAN have more privacy on FB (given that you know how to customize your settings when posting) than in any public forum. In fact, there was something I would have loved to talk about on PT a while ago, but decided not to because I cannot control who else would be able to read it.

Facebook isn't a place I would ever join. I've watched so many of my friends get into trouble with privacy issues, stolen identity and other stuff like viruses etc. And from what I'm told some of the stuff people put on there is pretty disgusting, some choose to bare their souls on there and so forth. From what I gather FB is mostly frequented by teens who can be pretty awful on there. If I had kids they would never be allowed to join FB either.

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Originally Posted by Edwina's Secretary

I have to agree with Wombat. As one of the longer members on here - since early 2001- I have seen some of the fun we had lessen because of newer members who join for reasons I cannot understand. Not even sure some of them have pets!

I don't come as often as I once did - and know others who feel the same - because of the antagonistic nature of these folks.

It is still a special place - and Facebook just isn't the same as PetTalk was.

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It is really strange some that come and never discuss their pets but love to argue politics, it isn't a political board...very strange indeed! By the way we need pics of the E's.

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Originally Posted by caseysmom

It is really strange some that come and never discuss their pets but love to argue politics, it isn't a political board...very strange indeed! By the way we need pics of the E's.

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Lots of them in Cats General. Have you looked? And Eddie is sick. There is a thread about that too. He is feeling better now.

Here's the most recent photo I posted of Edwina - gosh, yesterday.

She also has been involved in the trip to Chicago for baseball and a number of other Catmobile trips.

Hope you have seen them!

I will go look, I haven't spent much time on the kitty side...thanks!

I think all discussion venues are quieter in the vacation months.

I joined Facebook about 3 months ago. I don't find it is any worse or any better than any of the other places I have visited. The folks I deal with over there use their own names - as opposed to here, where there are many board names, but not so many real ones.

Here I can ignore anyone whom I find offensive; there I can make sure they have no access to me.

It's all in what makes you feel comfortable, I guess.

I'm friends with alot of you guys on facebook, and as you know I am on there alot more. I have a android phone with unlimited data and let's face it..all I've been doing is going out whether it be working, hanging out with friends, chilling with mikey and I'm not around my computer. I just got done working 11 days in a row and I have a few mini "day-cations" coming up. I'm really never home. I browse PT quite a bit, but never post, as I'm always online on my phone. FB is much more mobile friendly then PT is. I spell half the things wrong (stupid auto-correct), and unless I really feel the need to post something and know I'm not going to be on that day I will. Other then that, I keep in contact with many people over FB. Alot of my friends are going off to college so I'm gonna need it!

As for Social-networking sites killing discussion boards, I don't really think so. I think they make them better if anything. At least if someone from this crew is missing we can still be updated by FB and make sure they're OK and everything. We also have a Pettalkers FB group which alot of people post on! I guess it could. It could contribute sure, but I don't think it's a HUGE factor or anything. PT goes through periods of little posting every year. I've noticed in the summer months and around the holidays it's usually dead. In January/Febuary, it picks up alot.

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Originally Posted by Asiel

Facebook isn't a place I would ever join. I've watched so many of my friends get into trouble with privacy issues, stolen identity and other stuff like viruses etc. And from what I'm told some of the stuff people put on there is pretty disgusting, some choose to bare their souls on there and so forth. From what I gather FB is mostly frequented by teens who can be pretty awful on there. If I had kids they would never be allowed to join FB either.

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If you're not "friends" w/someone, you can't read their posts unless they choose to allow it to be read by everyone and if you don't know who they are, you wouldn't go to their pages. You also can block people from reading what you have to post as well. FB is very selective. As for discussions, I've had some really good ones on a variety of subjects. The best part is that I've reconnected w/relatives and friends that I hadn't seen or heard from for years. It isn't too likely that we'll get together soon, so FB has been a blessing in that sense. I've had an issue here and there w/FB but I've had them w/PT, too; technical issues, I mean. I think FB is great! I've learned a lot of information there, kept up w/events and issues that I wouldn't have on PT or probably elsewhere. I like PT, for sure, for my pets, which is why I joined in the first place.

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Originally Posted by Kirsten

Interesting. I never saw it that way. But I have to admit that you CAN have more privacy on FB (given that you know how to customize your settings when posting) than in any public forum. In fact, there was something I would have loved to talk about on PT a while ago, but decided not to because I cannot control who else would be able to read it.

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Exactly. You have to be very careful what you post on this forum. The Bigot Clique is always watching, and ready to pull ya to bits.....I guess they must need the attention (probably don't get it at home.)
The day I joined PT, I mentioned that I was a war veteran, a welfare officer and carer of war widows.....I was hammered by a member here for that !!!
Go figure.
But yeah.....FB is good, because really......life is much better without people like that around. ;)

FB and PT are very different, and serve different purposes, IMO. So far I have found the discussions on FB animated but polite, but that might speak more to the demographic my FB friends make up.

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Originally Posted by Medusa

If you're not "friends" w/someone, you can't read their posts unless they choose to allow it to be read by everyone and if you don't know who they are, you wouldn't go to their pages. You also can block people from reading what you have to post as well. FB is very selective. As for discussions, I've had some really good ones on a variety of subjects. The best part is that I've reconnected w/relatives and friends that I hadn't seen or heard from for years. It isn't too likely that we'll get together soon, so FB has been a blessing in that sense. I've had an issue here and there w/FB but I've had them w/PT, too; technical issues, I mean. I think FB is great! I've learned a lot of information there, kept up w/events and issues that I wouldn't have on PT or probably elsewhere. I like PT, for sure, for my pets, which is why I joined in the first place.

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True...that was explained to me when some of my friends wanted me to join but quite a few have had their accounts stolen and misused, some are mislead by others , etc. I have never been on FB nor do I intend to ever join, but not that long ago I received an e-mail from FB telling me I had 8 friends wanting me to join and be their friends.I was given the name of a friend and I knew she wasn't on FB. So where did they get my e-mail from? Then I found out another friend of mine in Britain and one other from a close by city got the same message telling them that I wanted them on FB to become friends. Lucky they mailed be , I told them I received the same message and I wasn't on FB and never would be. Somehow someone put my name in there I guess. I knew if you ignored all messages from FB for a month they stopped bothering you so that's what I did and everything stopped. Just not for me, heard too many horror stories about FB.

Nothing on the net is fully secure for sure but on FB it does help if everyone just spent a little time checking, and maybe adjusting, their settings.

10 Essential Facebook Tips and Tricks for All Users

Facebook Privacy: 10 Must-Know Security Settings

Without FB I wouldn't have my Arthur :love: however forums can be great sources of information and advice too

Thanks, Chris. I just posted these on my wall. :)

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Originally Posted by Pawsitive Thinking

Without FB I wouldn't have my Arthur :love: however forums can be great sources of information and advice too

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Shouldn't you be on the "Stonehenge is Really my Home" thread ??? :p

http://img1.imagehousing.com/51/83f2...a7ded7bf5b.jpg

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Originally Posted by wombat2u2004

Shouldn't you be on the "Stonehenge is Really my Home" thread ??? :p

http://img1.imagehousing.com/51/83f2...a7ded7bf5b.jpg

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Lol! you're probably right :D

The only thing I have found somewhat good about FB is that you can post about pets needing homes and hope that those people you are friends with will forward it to their friends and so fourth so that the word might get spread quickly.

But I do perfer PT :)
Melissa

A couple of years ago someone from my cat rescue raised $3000 in ten days for heart surgery from Facebook friends, so it has good points.

Here is another way for Facebook to do some good; to help our county Humane Society get a badly-needed new van for their Cruelty and Rescue department... See my post in General at http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthre...08#post2367708